No photographs are known to exist of Francis Gibbons.
salopianartpottery.co.uk would be very pleased to hear from anyone who may have a photograph which could be used here.
Francis “Frank” Gibbons (1852–1918)
Active at the Benthall Pottery Company: c.1882–85
Born at Oaksey, Wiltshire, Francis Gibbons attended Cirencester School of Art and Science from 1869 until 1879. In 1880, the school submitted several works by its students to the annual National Art Competition, held at the South Kensington Museum, London (renamed the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1899). Of the 179,141 works submitted by 148 schools from across the country, 789 were selected for display. Francis Gibbons was awarded a gold medal for a “design for a mosaic pavement” (Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, 21 July 1880).
In December 1880, at the annual prize-giving of the Cirencester School of Art and Science, Gibbons received an award for his shaded drawing “The Dancing Fawn” (The Swindon Advertiser, 18 December 1880).
On leaving Cirencester, Gibbons continued his studies at the South Kensington School of Art (1879–1881), after which he became Art Director at Doulton & Co. (Ltd) Lambeth, "where he designed many of their world renowned ceramic productions” (source:obituary).
From Doulton, Francis Gibbons moved briefly to Edinburgh, which, says his obituary was “to take the place of his brother Edward during his illness, as an art master at the Edinburgh School of Art. He relinquished this position on the latter’s return, and for experience sake he acted for a short time as artist at the Devon Ware Factory at Torquay” (an as yet unidentified factory).
His travels between London, Edinburgh and Devon appear to have been over the course of a few weeks or months in 1881, for later that year he is recorded as being a student at the Coalbrookdale School of Art, Shropshire (1881–1882), where he worked with his elder brother Owen (1847–1911) as Assistant Master.
Advertisements record his brief employment at the Benthall Pottery Company (1882, artist; 1883, designer), and his obituary adds that he was "also for a period manager of Messrs Allen’s Pottery in Broseley, Shropshire” (that is, the Benthall Pottery Company).
The Coalbrookdale School of Art Roll of Honour board records that in 1882 Francis Gibbons was awarded a Gold Medal. This was an award in the National South Kensington examinations, and a contemporary local newspaper cutting at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum adds that he received it for a figure and arabesque design on a vase (cutting dated 18 [?month] 1883). The vase has not been identified.
Advertisements for Salopian Art Pottery in The Pottery Gazette for 1883, refer to Francis Gibbons and the award: “National Gold Medal, for majolica vase, awarded last year to our Designer, Mr. F. Gibbons”.
In 1884, at the International Health Exhibition, London, on the site now occupied by the Science Museum and Imperial College, four million people came to see how everyday items and actions could have a bearing on health. Among the exhibitors were Shropshire ceramic manufacturers William Allen (of the Benthall Pottery Company), Maw & Co,, and Craven Dunnill.
The exhibition catalogue records three ceramic exhibits designed by Francis and Owen Gibbons (and three others designed by Henry Williams), all manufactured by William Allen, Coalbrookdale (that is, the Benthall Pottery Company):
- Exhibit 190 - Large plaque (Francis Gibbons)
- Exhibit 191 - Yellow glazed plaque (Francis Gibbons)
- Exhibit 235 - Large vase (Owen Gibbons)
There are only three known verifiable examples of Francis Gibbons’ work from his time at Benthall Pottery, two of which bear his incised FG initials (a Salopian Art Pottery wall plate or plaque is incised FGand one vase in a pair of Salopian Art Pottery vases decorated with swooping cranes is incised and dated FG 1882).
In 1885, Francis Gibbons was no longer at the Benthall Pottery. That year, together with his brother, Owen, and brother-in-law William John Hinton (b.1850), he established Gibbons, Hinton & Co., art tile manufacturers, at Buckpool, Brierley Hill, south Staffordshire.
Francis Gibbons died at Wordsley, south Staffordshire, on 4 October 1918, aged 66.
Wanted – information on Francis Gibbons
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Selected sources
Exhibition catalogue: International Health Exhibition, London, 1884, recording work by Francis Gibbons and Owen Gibbons, Henry Williams, students of the Coalbrookdale School of Art, Benthall Pottery Co., Maw & Co., and Craven Dunnill
Obituary: The County Express, 12 October 1918; reprinted in The Pottery Gazette, 1 November 1918